Folding commode-chair



A. A. HOWE.

FOLDING COMMODE CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I8, 1919.

1,342,? 1 5. v Patented June 8, 1920.

INVENTOR.

Alber? A Howe.

@ ATTORNEX}! Fig. 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. HOWE, OF TERRIL, IOWA.

FOLDING COMMODE-CHAIR.

Application filed February 18, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. HOWE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terril, in the county of Dickinson, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Commodo- Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in chairs and particularly to childrens commode chairs.

One object ofthe present invention is to provide a novel and improved chair of this character which may be quickly and easily folded into a small and compact condition for transportation or storage.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved hinge connection between the sides and the seat so as to prevent racking of the structure in any direction when set up, the connection including front and rear stiffening strips or aprons fixed beneath the edges of the seat and which prevent it from warping or splitting and conceal what is under the seat when the chair is set up and also house the sides when the chair is folded.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chair in set up position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the chair in folded position.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the chair in the position of Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of the folding side members.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the chair in the position of Fig. 1, that is set up.

Fig. 5 is an inverted perspective view of the chair in folded position.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, 10 represents the bottom member of the chair which is formed with the usual central opening 11, and in which opening is fitted the removable block 12. Secured to the upper face of the member 10, and extending transversely of the rear thereof, is a strip 13. Hinged to the forward edge of this strip is the combined back member and cover 14, whose size is such that its edges mate with those of the seat when folded Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 8, 1920.

Serial No. 277,748.

down onto the same as seen in Fig. 2. Rigidly secured beneath and extending entirely across the front edge of the seat is an apron 15, and a similar apron 16 is secured beneath its rear edge. These aprons are preferably in the form of strips, and they may well be of Wood and of substantially the same thickness as that of which the seat and back are made, although their width is preferably twice the thickness of the side members yet to be described, for a purpose which will appear. These strips or aprons reinforce the wooden seat and prevent it from warping, cracking, or breaking under the weight of the infant, weakened as it is by the large opening 11 out through it, and also these aprons conceal whatever may stand on the floor beneath the seat.

Two side members are provided, each including legs 22 connected by a cross strip 23 and arms 2%, and these members are adapted to stand upright as seen in Figs. 1 and a, or to be overlapped with each other and folded beneath the seat as seen in Fig. 5, for which latter purpose they are made a trifle smaller in contour than the seat between its aprons. Inside tl e front apron are disposed two Z- shaped metal hinge members 17, having their outer ends rotatably mounted in holes'in the front edges of the side members, and rof erably extending into the cross bars 23 of the latter, while the other ends of these members are rotatably mounted in holes 18 in the aprons, and by preference extend completely through the same and engage wear plates 19 and 19 neatly secured to or inset into the face of said apron as seen, one plate 19 being at the lower edge of the apron near one end and the other plate 19' near the upper edge and the opposite end thereof. Inside the rear apron 16 are disposed two like members 20, similarly pivoted, and 21, 21' designate their wear plates. The disposition of the pivotal points at the ends of these hinge members is such that, when the sides stand upright, each member leads from its pivot in an apron across beneath and in contact with the bottom 10 at the edge of the latter, to its pivot in the side member, and therefore weight on the bottom draws the sides closely against its edges and prevents the racking of the structure forward and backward. Moreover, the disposition of the pivoted ends of the hinge members is such that when it is desired to collapse the structure, one side can be swung on its hinge and into contact with the lower face of the.

first side, and the aggregate thickness of the two sides will be the same as or slightly less than the width or depth of the aprons, so that the latter conceal the sides as shown in Fig. 5, obviating any projecting parts when the chair is folded.

To the upper portion of the back of the chair are pivoted hooks 25 which are arranged to engage in apertured plates 26 secured to the upper faces of the rear portions of the arms 24, when the chair is in set up position, whereby the said back member and the side members will be held in rigid position, and the'chair prevented from collapsing While the child is seated thereon. Carried by and projecting from the center of the free edge of the back member is a headed member 27 with which is arranged to be engaged the hook 28 pivotally carried by the center of the front apron. This hook is in such position that it will not catch in the clothing of the child.

WVhat is claimed is: The herein described folding chair comprising a bottom, cleats secured beneath and extending entirely across the front and rear edges thereof and constituting aprons, two side members adapted when set up to rest against the edges of the bottom or when folded to lie superposed against its lower face between its edges and spaced from both aprons, a pair of hinge members having their outer ends bent toward each other and pivoted in the edges of one side, their bodies passing along the inner face of said aprons, and their inner ends bent away from each other and pivoted through the aprons, a like pair of hinge members for the other side, the pivotal points of one pair being near the upper edges and of the other pair near the lower edges of the aprons to permit the superposed folding of said sides, a back hinged across the rear edge of the bottom and foldable upon it or to upright position, and means fastening it to the sides when it is raised.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presenceof two witnesses.

ALBERTA. HOWE. Witnesses:

. LoUIs A. KOEN,

B. BARTHEL. 

